Vredestein Wintrac 4 Xtreme

I saw a Land Cruiser skidding about and almost hit a lamp post in a car park on Sunday and looking at his speed, the driver didn't seem to be doing anything stupid. I didn't have the slightest problem on the same surface. I can only put the difference down to the tyres as I don't think the conditions were bad enough for the RRS to show its edge over the Toyota.

I think the sceptics out there really need to try them to believe how good they really are. Some people say "why do you need winter tyres on a RR" well the short answer is that you don't, but it makes one hell of a difference if you drive in the snow.

Fresh snow isn't a problem even on normal/summer tyres because, rather usefully, fresh snow sticks to itself so you get some grip from snow sat in the tyre grooves. The problem comes where snow has been repeatedly driven over and has become hard packed. (You find this even when walking around - soft snow isn't slippy, hard snow is.). At that point, any tyre with a decent amount of sipes in the tread blocks will be better than a normal/summer tyre. AT and all-season tyres have more sipes than summer tyres and, of course, winter tyres have the most sipes. The sipes work by providing a large number of biting edges - it's these edges that give you grip in icy conditions. The softer rubber in a winter tyre helps by allowing the sipes to flex and bite too.

The real problem, as far as getting people to consider winter tyres goes, is that they consider them to be "snow tyres". As we get very little snow in the UK (no matter what the media says about "Arctic conditions" etc.), most people don't see the point of winter tyres. Getting them to realise that they work better than summer tyres for about 6 months of the year is the key. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

My experience last week contradicts you I am afraid - all season tyres on fresh snow with snow setting on and handled like a sledge - below 20 mph in town with minimal throttle and no steering control or brakes - volvo in front of me lost it on bend in front of me also below 20mph

Later in week freezing compacted snow and ice with acceptable control and brakes on same tyres  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Our experiences vary it seems... 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Muddy, i'm very surprised at your experiences Are you sure your snow settings are working correctly Does your accelerator become less responsive You don't have a locking rear diff do you

My MY12 has Pirelli scorpion assymetrico tyres from new, they are an all season tyre? (has M&S marking).

Definitely notice the GGS setting eases the throttle response, runs at lower rev range and increases engine breaking. Wheelspins and ABS skids are easy without GGS switched on, but harder to provoke when on. RRS MY12 SE Siberian Silver, Ocean, Ivory and Walnut.
3.0 SDV6 256hp, 8 speed autobox with flappy paddles, Factory fitted options: Privacy glass, tow pack, heated seats, heated steering wheel, RSE, centre cool box, premium carpets, mood lighting,vision pack and memory pack.

Snow mode was working

I wish I had the blackvue footage to show you the conditions and results but I had left the camera in the mini parked at home

In the soft snow I did an emergency stop at low speed and barely stopped within inches of a van - it was as if I had no brakes at all but the ABS was clicking like a machine gun - driving in a straight line with featherweight touch on accelerator the car was wriggling slightly from side to side and I had to correct the steering constantly - on the bends also

I have never experienced a drive like this in a 4wd ever but I guess it could be some freak of nature down to the particular conditions that day

A few days later it was colder so icy but I could steer and feel the limit of grip and no wriggling either - just felt like a normal 4wd journey in snow/ice to me

I think the 19" wrangler M+S were better though the last 2 winters  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

kryten22uk wrote:

I've got a MY12 RRS HSE and thought that an RRS would come with AllSeasons, but looking on the GoodYear website, the Excellence tyres that it came with are just summer tyres.

Not thought about extra sets for winter before but this snow has me thinking.

Current MY's come with all season tyres  Mike

2014 Facelift Discovery

I reckon there are tyres in some lab that can do any terrain, never go flat and last for years, but for the same reson we dont get all terrain as standard is so we keep spending and the ecomony moving. I mean think about it, our current tyres were invented a cetury ago! What have they got on the space shuttle? Range Rover Sport is for posing!

Something like this



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or this

 Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

For a start, not all M&S tyres are "all season" tyres. "All season" tyres are a very definite tyre that sits between a summer tyre and a winter tyre. They have additional sipes, like a winter tyre but not usually as many, but they are designed to work all year round so the rubber compound isn't quite as soft as a true winter tyre.

M&S is just a term that says the tyre meets a certain, industry defined, ratio of rubber and voids. So they have a more open tread pattern than a normal tarmac tyre. There is no traction-ability testing involved

A winter or all season tyre will have the M&S logo because it will have the required ratio of lands/grooves. An M&S tyre won't necessarily have the winter or all season logo on it however. Lots of them do, but not all do; you do need to check. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Donna X wrote:

I reckon there are tyres in some lab that can do any terrain, never go flat and last for years, but for the same reson we dont get all terrain as standard is so we keep spending and the ecomony moving. I mean think about it, our current tyres were invented a cetury ago! What have they got on the space shuttle?

Yes they are on my discovery - BFG All Terrain - Mountain snowflake M&S tyres, All Terrain, the only thing they struggle with is extreme mud

For every tyre comment and opinion there is another one... if its winter, they want you to buy winter tyres, they will slate M&S etc etc, when its summer - ditch the winter tyres they will ear out - but summer tyres you get better grip etc etc

There isnt a lot in it - unless you go full winter vs summer or studded

Its like engine oil additives  Mike

2014 Facelift Discovery

^^^
 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed